Absorbent articles such as diapers, incontinence guards, sanitary napkins and panty liners are used for the absorption of bodily exudates, such as blood, urine, sweat and feces. Absorbent articles are sometimes packaged individually in wrappers, so that the product remains clean and intact prior to use.
After an absorbent article has been used and soiled, a user or caregiver is faced with the problem of safe, hygienic disposal of the absorbent article and its contents. For absorbent articles which are provided with wrappers, such as sanitary napkins, it is common for disposal purposes to roll or fold a used article within the wrapper of the new (unused) article. This technique tends to keep the exudate within the article, and is more aesthetically pleasing, as exudate such as blood is not visible from the outside of the article.
However, without specific means to prevent unrolling or unfolding, folded or rolled absorbent articles are free to open up again, thus soiling waste receptacles and allowing the exudate to be released into the surrounding environment. Indeed, as bodily exudate is slowly redistributed within an absorbent article after use, it is common that a redistribution of the forces within an absorbent article cause it to unfold or unroll.
A number of solutions are known in the art for retaining absorbent articles in a rolled or folded configuration for disposal. Certain absorbent articles can be maintained in a rolled or folded configuration for disposal using existing fastening means on the article. For example, a sanitary napkin having wings including adhesive can be maintained in a folded configuration by adhering the wings to each other or to the body of the napkin (see e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 5,358,499). However, particularly in small sanitary napkins and panty liners, adhesive wings are not always present. In addition, sanitary napkins which have been fastened in a rolled or folded configuration via their wings tend to only be adhered temporarily, and will tend to open again after a short period in a waste receptacle.
A disposal tab (of adhesive or hook material) may be present on the absorbent article. After the absorbent article has been folded up, the disposal tab is deployed to fix the absorbent article in the folded configuration. Such a solution is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,380,450, and similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,484,636. However, the inclusion of a disposal tab involves extra materials and manufacturing costs, and introduces the risk that the disposal tab may fall off or become attached to the wearer's clothing during use.
Another method for securing a soiled absorbent article in a rolled or folded configuration is by providing a pocket on the article into which the folded absorbent article is inserted (e.g. WO 2006/054925). However, this solution requires the formation of the pocket from extra materials. US 2003/0115834 also discloses a pocket in a wrapper.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,692,162 describes a sanitary napkin with an integral disposal wrapper. U.S. Pat. No. 4,581,027 describes a sanitary napkin with an integral disposal bag. US2008/0058749 discloses a tampon wrapper being a polyethylene film tube, in which disposal of a tampon can take place. U.S. Pat. No. 5,954,201, WO 99/52485 and WO 99/52483 disclose individually packaged absorbent articles.
There remains a need for an absorbent article with associated wrapper which can be maintained in a rolled or folded configuration for disposal, in a simple, effective manner, without the requirement for extra components, and with minimal changes to the manufacturing process. In addition, there is a need for an absorbent article with associated wrapper which can be “locked” in a rolled or folded configuration for disposal.